Tile edge systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are tiles, systems, and methods related to manufacturing bullnose or other non-straight edge tiles. In a method of manufacturing a bullnose tile, the method comprises the steps of providing a tile, wherein said tile is a fired ceramic tile comprising a base and a decoration; cutting or milling the tile to form a bullnose edge; transporting the tile to at least a first printing station; printing at least one print layer of print media on the bullnose edge; transporting the tile to a curing station and curing the print media to provide the bullnose tile.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit, under 35U.S.C. § 120, of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/007,214, filed 13Jun. 2018, entitled “Tile Edge Systems and Methods,” which is acontinuation of and claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of U.S.Pat. No. 10,024,058, filed 21 May 2015, entitled “Tile Edge Systems andMethods,” which claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e), of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/005,733, filed 30 May 2014,entitled “Tile Edge Systems and Methods,” the entire contents andsubstance of both applications are incorporated herein by reference intheir entirety as if fully set forth below.

BACKGROUND 1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of this disclosure relate to tile systems and methods, andmore particularly, to systems and methods for applying coatings to theedge of a tile.

2. Description of Related Art

A variety of tile systems and methods are known. In general, tile is amanufactured material used for covering floors, walls, roofs, and othersimilar areas. In many situations, tile can provide a desirableappearance, texture, feel, or other surface characteristic that isdifficult or impossible to achieve by other means. Tiles are commonlymade from ceramic materials, although they can be made from a variety ofother materials such as wood, stone, metal, and glass.

Tiles are available in a variety of shapes. Moreover, tiles areavailable with a variety of side profiles. As shown in FIG. 1, forexample, tiles are available in a standard design 100 having fourstraight edges 105. These standard tiles 100 are common in themarketplace.

As shown in FIG. 2, tiles with a bullnose design 200 are also available.These bullnose tiles 200 have one or more bullnose edges 205. Bullnoseedges 205 can be rounded, convex edges on one or more sides of the tile200. Bullnose tiles are useful for several purposes, including creatingan aesthetically pleasing transition between the tile and a wall thetile is mounted on, for example. Such a transition can be desirable whena tile pattern on a wall does not extend to the end of the wall, andthus a progression from the tile pattern to the wall is desired.Bullnose tile also provides a smooth, rounded, and desirable edge fortiles located at the top of a wall, at corners, near stairs, aroundcountertops, at bathtub surrounds and other like areas.

To manufacture bullnose tile, the tile can either be pressed to itsdesired shape or cut from field tile to provide a smooth rounded edge.Pressing is generally not preferred, as this commonly leads to problemswith over-application or under-application of decoration on the roundededge. While cutting the bullnose edge is often preferred, cutting fromfield tile and subsequently rounding off the edge exposes the underlyingtile base with no decoration. Thus, the exposed edge must be decoratedto match the design on the face of the tile. If the decoration is donewith glazes and ceramic inks, the tile will need to be re-fired in akiln. This creates coloring and shading mismatch problems because thedecoration on the top surface 210 of the tile 200 is fired twice.Accordingly, to attempt to avoid such problems, decoration can be doneby manually spraying multiple coats of paint onto the tile edge. Unlikethe glazes and ceramics, the paint does not need to be fired in a kiln.The paint often includes a monochromatic base coat plus a speckle or dotcoat and an optional protective clear coat. The speckle coat is used tosimulate the look or the design on the face of the tile. The sprayedpaint is then air cured or heat cured in hot dryers. This process hasseveral disadvantages.

First, the speckled paint will almost always provide a different finishthan the existing design on the top surface of the tile, which makes thebullnose tile aesthetically undesirable. Second, the process of manuallyloading cut tiles into carts, mixing the paint, spraying multiple coatson tiles, and moving carts in and out of dryers is very labor intensiveand adds significant labor cost and time to the manufacturing process.Third, the paint needs to be tinted and a large number of color recipescreated and controlled if a manufacturer wishes to attempt to match alarge number of tile designs. Fourth, air or heat curing takes a longtime, which slows production. These are just some examples of thedrawbacks present in the current state of the art. Moreover, theseshortcomings are present during manufacturing of different types oftiles with non-straight edges (such as tiles with beveled edges), notjust bullnose edges.

A problem arising with decorated beveled tiles, or with other tileshaving a lowered surface at their perimeter or at a portion of theirperimeter, is that common decoration techniques for creating the designon the tile's face, such as rotogravure printing or screen printing, maynot be capable of printing on the lowered portions at the perimeter withacceptable quality. For this reason, often such lowered portions are notprinted with a design or pattern at all, and instead have the basic,practically uniform color of the tile. Similar problems also arise withtiles having straight or perpendicular edges, for example, with walltile or floor tile where a user wants to expose the side edge of thetile, e.g., at the boundaries of a tiled surface.

What is needed, therefore, is a tile and tile manufacturing process thatprovides a bullnose edge, or other non-straight edge, a loweredperimeter portion of a tile, or even a straight edge of a tile, thatmatches the rest of the tile, and does so in an efficient manner. It isto these needs that embodiments of this disclosure are primarilydirected.

SUMMARY

Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include a tile with abullnose edge, or other decorative edge, and methods of manufacturingand using such tile. During manufacturing, a tile can be placed on aconveyor and cut into bullnose form. If the tile is wet, it can then bedried. After drying, a design matching the design on the top of thetile, or another design, can be printed onto the bullnose edge with oneor more printers. The ink from the printer can then be cured. Finally,the tiles can be sorted and packaged. This process can produce a tilewith a near perfect color/design match between the bullnose edge orother decorative edge and the top of the tile. This also provides a tilemanufacturing process that is significantly streamlined compared toknown methods. Of course, intermediate steps and rearrangement of thesteps mentioned above are possible and contemplated by this disclosure.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method ofmanufacturing a bullnose tile, comprising printing a decorative coatcomprising print media on a bullnose edge of the bullnose tile, andcuring the print media. In some embodiments, the print media comprisesradiation curable ink. In some embodiments, the method of manufacturinga bullnose tile further comprises coating at least one of a tie coat ora base coat on the bullnose edge of the bullnose tile and curing the atleast one of the tie coat or the base coat. In some embodiments, themethod of manufacturing a bullnose tile further comprises coating aprotective coat on the bullnose edge of the bullnose tile and curing theprotective coat. In some embodiments, the curing process comprisesexposing the print media to a radiation lamp. In some embodiments themethod further comprises wet cutting a tile to form the bullnose tile,profiling the tile to provide a smooth rounded edge to the bullnosetile, drying the bullnose tile after wet cutting, and sorting andpackaging the tile after the curing process. In some embodiments, thetile is transported on an in-line conveyor system during wet cutting,drying, printing, and curing.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a system formanufacturing a bullnose tile comprising a first printing stationconfigured to print a decorative coat, onto a bullnose edge of abullnose tile, and a first curing station for curing the decorativecoat. In some embodiments, the system can further comprise a firstcoating station configured to coat at least one of a tie coat or a basecoat onto the bullnose edge of the bullnose tile, and a second curingstation for curing the at least one of the tie coat or the base coat. Insome embodiments, the system can further include a second coatingstation configured to coat a protective coat onto the bullnose edge ofthe bullnose tile, and a third curing station to cure the protectivecoat. In some embodiments, the system further comprises a cuttingstation configured to wet cut the bullnose edge into the bullnose tile,a drying chamber configured to dry the bullnose tile, and a sorting andpackaging station configured to sort and package the bullnose tile forshipment. In some embodiments, the system can separately include aprofiling station for profiling the tile to provide a smooth roundededge to the bullnose tile, or profiling may be performed by the cuttingstation or drying chamber. In some embodiments, the system furthercomprises a conveyor system to transport the tile to the cutting system,drying chamber, first printing station, and first curing station, theconveyor system configured such that the tile remains on a conveyorduring cutting, drying, printing and curing. In some embodiments, thefirst printing station comprises one or more inkjet printers. In someembodiments, the inkjet printers printing print media comprise radiationcurable ink. In some embodiments, the curing station comprises one ormore radiation lamps. In some embodiments, the system further comprisesa second printing station. In some embodiments, the system is configuredto transport the tile from the first curing station to the secondprinting station. In some embodiments, the system is configured totransport the tile from the second printing station to a second curingstation.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a tile comprising adecorative edge and a first coat printed onto the decorative edge andcured. In some embodiments, the decorative edge is one of a bullnoseedge, a straight edge, a beveled edge and a lower perimeter portion. Insome embodiments, the tile further comprises a second coat printed ontothe decorative edge and cured. In some embodiments, the second coat is adecorative coat. In some embodiments, the tile further comprises a thirdcoat printed onto the decorative edge and cured.

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method ofmanufacturing a bullnose tile, comprising the steps of providing a tile,wherein said tile is a fired ceramic tile comprising a base and adecoration; cutting or milling the tile to form a bullnose edge;transporting the tile to at least a first printing station; printing atleast one print layer of print media on the bullnose edge; transportingthe tile to a curing station; and curing the print media to provide thebullnose tile. In some embodiments, the print media comprises one ormore radiation curable ink(s). In some embodiments, the method furthercomprises exposing the print media to a radiation lamp. In someembodiments, the print media comprises one or more decorative inks. Insome embodiments, the decorative inks are in multiple colors comprisingcyan, magenta, yellow and black. In some embodiments, the method furthercomprises printing a design that matches the design on the top surfaceof the tile. In some embodiments, the method further comprisestransporting the tile through multiple printing stations to printmultiple print layers of print media. In some embodiments, the methodfurther comprises (i) curing after each layer is applied, (ii) curingafter some layers are applied, or (iii) curing after all layers areapplied. In some embodiments, the method further comprises transportingthe tile through multiple printing stations and curing stations to printmultiple print layers of print media and curing said print layers. Insome embodiments, the printing station comprises an inkjet printer. Insome embodiments, the printing station comprises a printer with printheads that are disposed at an angle to the top surface of the tile. Insome embodiments, the print media comprises a base coat or tie coat. Insome embodiments, the base coat is a white coat or a solid colored coat.In some embodiments, the print media comprises a protective coat. Insome embodiments, the method further comprises applying a base coat ortie coat on the bullnose edge, and curing the base coat or tie coat. Insome embodiments, printing comprises printing a decorative coat on topof the base coat or tie coat. In some embodiments, the method furthercomprises applying a protective coat on the bullnose edge, and curingthe protective coat. In some embodiments, the protective coat is appliedby means of rollers, sprayer or dispenser. In some embodiments, theprotective coat is applied on top of the decorative coat. In someembodiments, the method further comprises wet cutting a tile to form thebullnose tile, drying the bullnose tile after wet cutting. In someembodiments, the tile is transported on an in-line conveyor systemduring cutting, printing, and curing the print media.

These and other embodiments of this disclosure are described in theDetailed Description below and the accompanying figures. Otherembodiments and features of embodiments of this disclosure will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing thefollowing description of embodiments of this disclosure in concert withthe figures. While features of this disclosure may be discussed relativeto certain embodiments and figures, all embodiments of this disclosurecan include one or more of the features discussed herein. While one ormore embodiments may be discussed as having certain advantageousfeatures, one or more of such features may also be used with the variousembodiments of the invention discussed herein. In similar fashion, whileexemplary embodiments may be discussed below as system or methodembodiments, it is to be understood that such exemplary embodiments canbe implemented in various devices, systems, and methods of thisdisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features and advantages of this disclosure may be more readilyunderstood with reference to the following Detailed Description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing figures, wherein likereference numerals designate like structural elements, and in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a standard or field tile.

FIG. 2 depicts a conventional bullnose tile.

FIG. 3 depicts the standard or field tile of FIG. 1 cut into bullnoseform, in accordance with some embodiments of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 depicts a conventional process for manufacturing bullnose tile.

FIG. 5 depicts a process for manufacturing bullnose tile, in accordancewith some embodiments of this disclosure.

FIG. 6 depicts a process for manufacturing bullnose tile, in accordancewith some embodiments of this disclosure.

FIG. 7 depicts a bullnose tile, in accordance with some embodiments ofthis disclosure.

FIG. 8 depicts an exploded view of a bullnose tile, in accordance withsome embodiments of this disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

To facilitate an understanding of the principles and features of thevarious embodiments of the invention, various illustrative embodimentsare explained below. Although exemplary embodiments of the invention areexplained in detail as being systems and methods for manufacturing tile,and the tile itself, it is to be understood that other embodiments arecontemplated, such as embodiments employing other types of manufacturingprocesses, manufacturing steps, tiles, tile edges, and the like.Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention is limited in itsscope to the details of construction and arrangement of components setforth in the following description or examples. The invention is capableof other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in variousways. Also, in describing the exemplary embodiments, specificterminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity.

It must also be noted that, as used in the specification and theappended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an” and “the” include pluralreferences unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example,reference to a component is intended also to include composition of aplurality of components. References to a composition containing “a”constituent is intended to include other constituents in addition to theone named.

Also, in describing the exemplary embodiments, terminology will beresorted to for the sake of clarity. It is intended that each termcontemplates its broadest meaning as understood by those skilled in theart and includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similarmanner to accomplish a similar purpose. Moreover, where the terms“bullnose” or “bullnose tile” are used, these terms may contemplatetiles with other types of non-straight edges known in the art, such asbeveled edges, for example.

Ranges may be expressed herein as from “about” or “approximately” or“substantially” one particular value and/or to “about” or“approximately” or “substantially” another particular value. When such arange is expressed, other exemplary embodiments include from the oneparticular value and/or to the other particular value.

By “comprising” or “containing” or “including” is meant that at leastthe named compound, element, particle, or method step is present in thecomposition or article or method, but does not exclude the presence ofother compounds, materials, particles, method steps, even if the othersuch compounds, material, particles, method steps have the same functionas what is named.

It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method stepsdoes not preclude the presence of additional method steps or interveningmethod steps between those steps expressly identified. Similarly, it isalso to be understood that the mention of one or more components in acomposition does not preclude the presence of additional components thanthose expressly identified.

The materials described as making up the various elements of theinvention are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Manysuitable materials that would perform the same or a similar function asthe materials described herein are intended to be embraced within thescope of the invention. Such other materials not described herein caninclude, but are not limited to, for example, materials that aredeveloped after the time of the development of the invention.

To facilitate an understanding of the principles and features of thisdisclosure, various illustrative embodiments are explained below. Inparticular, various embodiments of this disclosure are described astiles and also systems and methods for manufacturing tiles. Someembodiments of the invention, however, may be applicable to othercontexts, and embodiments employing these variations are contemplated.For example and not limitation, some embodiments of the invention may beapplicable to various types of surface covers, rounded edges, straightedges, angled edges, or other applications altogether. Accordingly,where terms such as “tile” or “bullnose” or “beveled” or related termsare used throughout this disclosure, it will be understood that otherdevices, entities, objects, shapes, or activities can take the place ofthese in various embodiments of the invention.

As described above, a problem with existing tiles and tile manufacturingprocesses, especially those that encompass decorative edges, such asnon-straight, bullnose edges, is that such edges will undesirably have adifferent finish than the top of the tile. In addition, themanufacturing processes that yield these tiles are inefficient, as theyrequire several manual steps and the use of various paints and othercoatings with long drying times.

The present disclosure, however, describes tiles and methods ofmanufacturing tiles that solve these problems. Specifically, a tile canbe placed on a conveyor and cut into bullnose form. Since the cuttingcan be a wet-cutting process, the tile can then be dried. According tosome embodiments, after drying, a base coat and/or a tie coat may beapplied to the edge of the bullnose tile by a coating station, which maythen be cured by a curing station. After drying and optionally coatingand curing, a design matching the design on the top of the tile can beprinted onto the decorative edge, such as on the bullnose edge, with aprint head positioned at a particular angle. The ink from the printercan then be cured. These steps can be accomplished without removing thetile from the conveyor. According to some embodiments, a second coating,such as a protective coating can then be added to the bullnose tile andsubsequently cured by a curing station. Finally, the tiles can be sortedand packaged. This process produces a tile with a near perfect color anddesign match between the bullnose edge and the top of the tile, wheredesired. This process also provides a method for tile manufacturing thatis significantly streamlined compared to known methods.

Advantageously, embodiments of the present disclosure can use printersto print one or more print media, which can include ink, on thedecorative edge, such as on the bullnose edge of the tile. In someembodiments, the print media, or decorative inks, can include one ormore radiation curable inks applied in one or more layers. Morespecifically, the print media can include a radiation curable base coat,radiation curable decorative coat, and, optionally, a radiation curableprotective coat. The print media and inks can be cured after each layeris applied, after some layers are applied, or after all layers areapplied. These radiation curable inks provide several advantages. Forexample, they dry quickly when exposed to radiation lamps, they enablemore accurate color and design matching than conventional paints, andthey are simple to apply with the right equipment. In addition, thereare zero VOC and solvent emissions associated with 100% solids radiationcurable print media. In some embodiments, the base coat and/or theprotective coat can be applied by techniques other than printing, suchas, for example, by roller coating and/or spray coating, while thedecorative coat is applied by printing as described herein. Decorativeinks can be acrylate monomer and oligomer based, UV curable, and can beavailable in multiple colors, for example, cyan, magenta, yellow andblack.

As described above, FIG. 1 shows a standard tile 100 and FIG. 2 shows abullnose tile 200. By comparing FIGS. 1 and 2, one can see that adifference between the tiles is that the bullnose tile 200 has arounded, bullnose edge 205. As discussed above, the bullnose edge 205can be desirable in many scenarios, including in transition areasbetween a tile and a wall, at corners, at surrounds, etc.

To manufacture a bullnose tile, a field or standard tile 100 can be cutinto bullnose form. In other words, an edge of the field tile 100 can becut into a rounded, convex shape to form a bullnose tile 200. While thisprocess provides the shape desired by manufacturers and end users, thecut also reveals the undecorated base of the tile 315, as shown in FIG.3. The bullnose tile 200 can also be smaller than the field tile 100,and thus the field tile 100 can be cut into one or more bullnose tiles200.

FIG. 3 shows a field tile 100 that has been cut into bullnose form. Asmentioned above, the cut bullnose tile 300 has an undecorated base 315.The undecorated base 315 is the previously interior core portion of thetile that is now exposed because the edge of the tile 105 has been cutaway. The undecorated base 315, therefore, does not have any paint orfinish. Likewise, as also shown in FIG. 3, the cutting will revealcross-sections of any layers of glaze, such as engobe 320, glaze 325,and protective over-glaze 330 which were applied to the standard tile100 before cutting.

To ensure that the bullnose edge 305 matches the top of the tile inappearance, a manufacturer can apply a finish to the bullnose edge 305after cutting. Preferably, when desired, this finish will match thefinish on the top 310 of the tile 300, or come as close as is practical.This makes the tile uniform, which is appealing to prospectivepurchasers.

In the past, during manufacturing, paint has been manually applied tothe bullnose edges 305 of tiles 300 with brushes or spray guns, forexample. As discussed in more detail below, this process is laborintensive and time consuming. Moreover, painting rarely results in anear perfect match between the dried paint on the bullnose edge 305 andthe finish on the top 310 of the tile 300. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure, however, use printers to print the same graphic used on thetop 310 of the tile 300 onto the bullnose edge 305. This results in abetter match between the finish on the bullnose edge 305 and the top 310of the tile 300, and is also more efficient.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a known manufacturing process 400 forbullnose tile. In this process, field tiles 100 are loaded onto aconveyor at step 405. The field tiles 100 are then cut or milled at step410. After cutting or milling, the cut tiles are manually loaded onto acart at step 415. The cart is then brought into a dryer or dryingchamber at step 420. The dried tiles are then manually painted at step425. Since the paint is wet, the tiles are brought back to the dryingchamber and dried again at step 430. This process of painting and dryingcan repeat itself as many times as needed to apply and dry the desirednumber of layers of paint and/or protective coating. This process can bevery time and labor intensive, as it includes manual painting, longdrying times of up to twenty minutes or more per drying period, andmanual movement of the tiles. After the painting and drying cycle(s) arecomplete, the tiles are brought to a sorting and packaging station wherethey can be sorted and packaged for shipment at step 435. Unfortunately,however, the process described above often yields bullnose edges of thefinished tiles with a different finish than the rest of the tile due tothe shortcomings of the painting and drying process.

The present disclosure can provide several advantages over the knownprocess described above with reference to FIG. 4, as well as other knownmanufacturing processes. Specifically, systems and methods of thepresent disclosure can reduce the number of manual steps needed tomanufacture bullnose tile, can expedite the manufacturing process, andcan produce a higher quality final product.

FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram of a manufacturing process 500 for bullnosetile in accordance with some embodiments of this disclosure. In anexemplary process, field tiles 100 are loaded onto a conveyor system 560at tile loading/unloading station 565 at step 505. The conveyor system560 transports the field tiles 100 through a wet cutting or millingstation 570 at step 510. This cutting or milling can incorporate thebullnose edge, or other edge, into the tile 300. After cutting ormilling, and now in bullnose form, the tiles 300 can remain on theconveyor system 560 and the conveyor system 560 can transport the tilesthrough a drying chamber 575 at step 515. In some embodiments the dryingchamber may be an in-line drying chamber, allowing the tiles to movethrough the chamber without stopping. The dried tiles can then betransported by the conveyor system 560 through one or more printstations 580. The print station 580 can comprise printers that print oneor more layers of print media, which can include radiation curableink(s), on the bullnose edge of the tile at step 520. After printing,the radiation curable inks can be cured by exposing the inks toradiation lamps at one or more curing stations 585 at step 525. If oneor more additional layers of print media are desired to be applied ontop of the tiles, multiple printing stations 580 and curing stations 585can be placed in series. Alternatively, the conveyor system 560 can havean optional rerouting pathway, or loop, to redirect the tiles throughthe print station 580 and curing station 585 as many times as desired ornecessary. After printing 520 and curing 525 are complete, the tiles arebrought to a sorting and packaging station 590 where they can be sortedand packaged for shipment at step 530.

FIG. 6 shows a flow diagram of a manufacturing process 600 for bullnosetile in accordance with this disclosure. In an exemplary process, fieldtiles 100 are loaded onto a conveyor system 660 at a tileloading/unloading station 665 at step 605. The conveyor system 660transports the field tiles 100 through a wet cutting or milling station570 at step 610. As described above, the wet cutting or milling stationcan incorporate the bullnose edge, or other edge, into the tile 300.After cutting or milling, and now in bullnose form, the tiles 300 canremain on the conveyor system 660 and the conveyor system 660 cantransport the tiles through a drying chamber 575 at step 615. The driedtiles can then be transported by the conveyor system 660 through one ormore first coating stations 680 at step 620. The first coating station680 can apply at least a first base coat to the bullnose edge. Forexample, the first coating station 680 can coat the bullnose edge withone or more base coats and/or one or more tie coats to the tiles 300.According to some embodiments, a base coat can provide a solid color tothe bullnose edge on top of which a decorative coat may be placed. Forexample, a base coat may be a white coat that serves to cover theunderlying color of the tile. According to some embodiments, a base coatcan be a white pigmented, UV curable coating based on eitherepoxy-acrylate or urethane acrylate chemistries. A tie coat can be acoating used to improve the adhesion of a base coat to the surface ofthe tile. A tie coat can have a low viscosity and/or be water-based. Forexample, a tie coat can be a UV curable, water based polyurethanedispersion. According to some embodiments, a tie coat can penetrate thepores of the tile, thereby adding durability to the coatings applied tothe surface of the tile. A base coat or tie coat can be applied by firstcoating station 680 using a coating element 685. As will be understoodby those of skill in the art, a coating element 685 may take many forms,such as, for example but not limited to, rollers that roll the coat ontothe surface of the tile, sprayers that can spray a coat onto the surfaceof the tile, or dispensers that can pour the coating onto the surface ofthe tile. According to some embodiments, if a tie coat is used inaddition to a base coat, there can be an additional step of flashing offwater in a dryer chamber before coating the base coat on top of it. Insome embodiments, the tie coat does not need to be UV cured separatelybefore coating the base coat and they can be cured together at the sametime.

After a first coat is applied to the bullnose edge, the first coat canbe cured by exposing the coat to radiation lamps at one or more firstcuring stations 585 at 625. Curing stations 585 may operate as describedpreviously with respect to FIG. 5, and further below. After curing thefirst coat, the conveyor system 660 can transport the tiles through aprinting station 580 at step 630. The print station 580 can compriseprinters that can print a decorative coat on the surface of the bullnoseedge on top of the base coat (optionally including the tie coat). Thedecorative coat may comprise one or more layers of print media, whichcan include radiation curable ink(s), on the bullnose edge of the tileat step 630. Similar to what was previously described above with respectto FIG. 5, after printing, the radiation curable inks can be cured byexposing the inks to radiation lamps at one or more second curingstations 585 at step 635. Likewise, if one or more additional layers ofprint media are desired to be applied on top of the tiles, multipleprinting stations 580 and second curing stations 585 can be placed inseries. Alternatively, the conveyor system 660 can have an optionalrerouting pathway, or loop, to redirect the tiles through the printstation 580 and second curing station 585 as many times as desired ornecessary.

After being cured at second curing station 585, the tiles can then betransported by the conveyor system 660 through one or more secondcoating stations 680. Coating station 680 can be configured to apply asecond coating to the bullnose edge of the tile in a manner similar tothat described above with respect to the first coating station 680. Asecond coating can be a protective coating. A protective coating can bea clear coating that adds protection to the surface of the tile andprevents the decorative tile from scraping or wearing off. A protectivecoat can be water resistant and/or provide a desirable finish to thesurface of the tile. According to some embodiments, a protective coat isa UV curable, clear coat based on polyurethane or polyester chemistries.After a second coating is applied to the bullnose edge, the secondcoating can be cured by exposing the coating to radiation lamps at oneor more third curing stations 585 at 645. The third coating station 585can cure the second coating in a manner similar to that previouslydescribed with respect to the curing of the first coating and thedecorative coating.

In some embodiments, after coating 640 and curing 645 are complete, thetiles 695 with the cured inks are brought to a sorting and packagingstation 690 where they can be sorted and packaged for shipment at step650. Sorting can be done by a quality inspector (manual or automated)that checks for defects and arranges the tiles 695 as needed. Packagingcan be done with machines that pick a certain number of tiles 695, placethe tiles 695 on flat carton boards, and fold the boards to createcartons (not shown). The cartons can be shrink-wrapped or taped.Transportation of the tiles 695 can be accomplished throughout by theconveyor system 660.

According to some embodiments all coatings and print media applied tothe bullnose tiles in manufacturing process 600, including a base coat,a tie coat, a decorative coat and a protective coat, can be UV curable.As described above, coatings may be applied to tiles by coating stations680 and inks may be applied to tiles by printing stations 580.Manufacturing process 600 can provide increased speed, reduced labor andimproved aesthetics in decorating and coating the bullnose edge of atile to match the rest of the tile.

Accordingly, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 4, 5, and 6,manufacturing processes in accordance with this disclosure, as shown inFIGS. 5 and 6, for example, can automate the tile manufacturing processthereby significantly reducing labor and associated cost, overallmanufacturing cost, and unnecessary complications such as the use ofcarts. This automation can also improve the quality of the final productby reducing human error inherent in manual processes and theshortcomings of manually applied paints. Some of the steps of FIGS. 5and 6 will now be discussed in greater detail.

In some embodiments, tile loading/unloading station 565, 665 cancomprise a machine arm that pushes a tile from the top of a tile stackon to a receiving plate that lowers it on to the conveyor system 560,660. Further, in some embodiments, the conveyor system 560, 660 can bean in-line conveyor belt system. Such a system can greatly reduce thefootprint and the space requirements for the equipment implementing themanufacturing process, i.e., the tile loading/unloading station 565,665, cutting or milling station 570, drying chamber 575, print station580, curing stations 585, coating stations 680, and sorting andpackaging station 590, 690, for example. An in-line process (or conveyorprocess generally) can also reduce or eliminate the need to load tilesonto carts for certain manufacturing steps, thereby saving time andreducing manual labor.

In some embodiments, the cutting or milling station 570 can be a wetcutting station. The wet cutting station can comprise one or morecutting blades to cut the field tile into smaller pieces and provide arounded, bullnose edge or other non-straight edge. The wet cuttingstation can apply a liquid, such as water or other coolants and/orlubricants on the tile during cutting. In some embodiments, the tilescan be cut without being removed from the conveyor system 560, 660.

The drying chamber 575, in some embodiments, can comprise electric coilheaters or gas fired burners arranged in a covered, insulated housing.The drying chamber 575 can rid the tile of moisture to prepare the tilefor subsequent processing. In some embodiments, the tiles can be driedon the conveyor system 560, 660.

In some embodiments, the print station 580 can comprise one or moreprinters 581, such as inkjet printers. The printers 581 can preciselylocate print media, which can include radiation curable inks, on therounded, bullnose edge. Moreover, the print media can be printed in highresolution. In some embodiments, therefore, the printer 581 can haveprint heads that are disposed at an angle. In other words, the printheads can have a printing surface that is neither parallel to the topsurface of the tile nor perpendicular to the top surface of the tile.Instead, the printing surface can be disposed at an angle to the topsurface of the tile to enable quality printing on the bullnose edge orother decorative edge. The angle can, of course, be adjusted based onseveral factors, such as the shape or size of the bullnose or otherdecorative edge, such as a non-straight edge. In some embodiments, theangle can be 45 degrees, about 45 degrees, or between 30 and 60 degrees.In some embodiments, a printer head can rotate across a range of 0 to 90degrees. A position-adjustable print head can allow the system to printinks and print media to the edge of bullnose tiles having differentthicknesses by adjusting the angle of the print head for each differentthickness of tile. So, for example, the manufacturing processes 500 and600 may be used in a first production run on a first set of bullnosetiles having a first thickness and then may be used in a secondproduction run on a second set of bullnose tiles having a secondthickness by simply adjusting the angle of the position-adjustable printheads between the first and second production runs.

In some embodiments, the print media can comprise solid powder insteadof printed inks. In these embodiments, electrostatic spraying equipmentmay be used instead of a printer.

As explained above, the printer 581 can print radiation curable inks.The printer 581 can apply the inks in a carefully controlled process toensure that the desired graphic, color, pattern, and amount of ink areapplied. As shown in FIG. 7, this process can result in a bullnose edge705 that matches the color and pattern of the top 710 of the tile 700much more closely than in conventional bullnose tiles 200, as shown inFIG. 2. In addition, the use of a printer 581 and inks can eliminatemuch of the complexity associated with maintaining multiple colorrecipes.

Moreover, the print media, including the inks, can be applied in one ormore layers. For example, in some embodiments, a radiation curable basecoat can be applied first, a radiation curable decorative coat can beapplied next, and a radiation curable protective coat can be appliedlast. In some embodiments, an optional tie coat may be applied beforethe base coat. Each of these layers, and other additional layers, can beoptionally applied or applied multiple times. In some embodiments, abase coat can be applied to the bullnose edge first. The base coat canbe white to provide a desirable surface upon which to print subsequentlayers. After the base coat, a decorative coat can then be applied,which can include or apply the design or graphic on the tile. A wearresistant clear coat may then be applied on top of the decorative coatto provide a desirable finish. In addition, a clear coat can bedesirable to protect the other printed layers of the tiles as theselayers may not be as durable as the layers on the top of the tile,depending on a number of factors, including the types of print mediaand/or inks used. In some embodiments, printing can take place while thetiles are on the conveyor system 560.

In some embodiments, the radiation curable inks can be 100% solid,solvent-borne or water-based, or solid powders (such as in powdercoatings). The inks can comprise binders/monomers based on acrylate,unsaturated polyester, polyester-acrylate, epoxide-acrylate,urethane-acrylate, polyurethane or polyurethane-acrylate dispersions(PUD), or blends of the above. The inks can be tinted with organic orin-organic pigments, dyes or colorants. In some embodiments, the inks orprotective clear coat are not tinted or colored to maintain clarity. Theinks and coatings can further comprise carefully selected combinationsof photo-initiators that may include hydroxy-ketones and/or acylphosphine oxides. The inks can be ultraviolet (UV) curable inks.

In some embodiments, the inks can be electron beam (EB) curable inks.The main difference in EB curable inks, as compared to UV curable inks,is the energy or wavelength of radiation and the need for photoinitiatorchemicals used in the inks. EB inks are more energetic with a shorterwavelength range, typically less than 1 nanometer, that generally doesnot require a photo-initiator being added to the ink. On the other hand,UV inks are less energetic with longer wavelength range, generallybetween 200 and 400 nanometers, that requires a photo-initiator.

In some embodiments, curing stations 585 can include one or moreradiation lamps 586. The radiation lamps 586 can be UV radiation lampsor EB radiation lamps, or both, depending on the type of ink used. Thecuring stations 585 can therefore expose the tile, including theradiation curable inks, to the radiation lamps 586, which can bedisposed above the tile. The radiation lamps 586 can thus cure theradiation curable inks on the tile. In some embodiments, curing of theinks is carried out by properly selecting radiation lamps 586 withoutput spectra that match the absorption range of photo-initiators inthe inks. Thus, when the inks are exposed to the output spectra from thelamps 586, the inks can cure on the tile.

As referenced above, the radiation lamps 586 can cure the inks aftereach layer of ink is applied, or after two or more of the layers of inkare applied. Thus, the lamps can cure the inks between each printingstep 520, 630 or after all printing steps 520, 630 are completed.Advantageously, the radiation lamps 586 can cure the radiation curableinks very quickly. In some embodiments, for example, the inks can becured in ten seconds or less, five seconds or less, three seconds orless, two seconds or less, or one second or less, depending on a numberof factors. This can be extremely advantageous over known paint dryingtechniques, which can routinely take twenty minutes or longer. Inaddition, the radiation lamps 586 can cure the inks at room temperature.Thus, the tiles emerge cool, and ready for subsequent processing. Thereis also no need to maintain a large dryer at a high temperature, or towheel carts into or out of the dryer. Thus, curing under radiation lamps586 can increase manufacturing speed and can also reduce overhead costs.In some embodiments, the tiles can be cured on the conveyor system 560,660.

It is worth noting that, in some embodiments, one or more of the layersof print media, including ink, can be air or heat cured. Moreover, oneor more of the layers can be painted on or applied with roller coatingin automated processes. These embodiments may result in longermanufacturing times, but may provide other advantages. For example, insome embodiments, it may be possible that a painted and air dried wearresistant clear coat will better protect some layers of printed andcured decorative inks in some circumstances. In other embodiments,however, the printed and cured protective coats can be equally asdurable, or more durable, than painted protective coats.

As explained above, a plurality of printing stations 580 and curingstations 585 can be configured in series. This can enable the printingand curing of multiple layers of ink on the tiles. For example, in someembodiments, a base coat can be applied first by a first printingstation 580, and the tile can then be brought to a first curing station585 for curing of the ink. Next, a decorative coat of ink can be appliedby a subsequent printing station 580, and the tile can be brought to asubsequent curing station 585 for curing. A protective coat of can thenbe applied by another printing station 580 and cured by another curingstation 585. In some embodiments, multiple base coats, decorative coats,and/or protective coats can be applied and cured in this seriesconfiguration. Alternatively, the conveyor system 560, 660 can have anoptional rerouting pathway, such as an optional loop, to redirect thetiles through printing station 580 and curing station 585 as many timesas desired or necessary. In this manner the same printing station 580and curing station 585 (or series thereof) can be used to apply and curethe various layers of inks. It will be understood by those of skill inthe art that although FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate example embodiments ofmanufacturing processes 500, 600, that there may be many differentconfigurations and combinations of the various coating, printing,curing, cutting and drying stations described herein. For example,although FIG. 6 illustrates three separate curing stations 585, in someembodiments there may only be one curing station 585, that conveyor isconfigured to transport the tiles through three times. Thus, any numberof stations can be used to achieve the embodiments shown in FIGS. 5 and6, and many other configurations of stations not explicitly shown in thedrawings are also contemplated herein.

In some embodiments, after printing 520, 630 and curing 525, 635 arecomplete, the tiles 595,695 with the cured inks are brought to a sortingand packaging station 590, 690 where they can be sorted and packaged forshipment at step 530, 650. Sorting can be done by a quality inspector(manual or automated) that checks for defects and arranges the tiles595, 695 as needed. Packaging can be done with machines that pick acertain number of tiles 595, 695, place the tiles 595, 695 on flatcarton boards, and fold the boards to create cartons (not shown). Thecartons can be shrink-wrapped or taped. Transportation of the tiles 595,695 can be accomplished throughout by the conveyor system 560, 660.

One of skill in the art will recognize that the presently disclosedsystems and processes provide significant advantages over know systemsand processes. Moreover, even if known processes, such as those shown inFIG. 4, were automated, the presently disclosed system would stillprovide considerable advantages over those automated processes. Forexample, the use of printers, radiation curable inks, and curingstations would provide significant advantages in color matching, patternmatching, and manufacturing times.

FIG. 7 shows a tile in accordance with the present disclosure. As shown,the tile comprises a bullnose edge 705 with a printed layer matching thecolor and design on the top 710 of the tile 700. Since FIG. 7 is shownin black and white, only the pattern consistency is visible, but thoseof skill in the art will understand that the color is consistent aswell, and is also more consistent than the color of the conventionalbullnose tile in FIG. 2.

It will be understood, in cases where the decorative front face of thetile comprises an intricate pattern, such as a wood grain pattern or amarble pattern, that the upper face or edge of the tile, whether it is abullnose edge, a beveled edge or a lowered perimeter portion, may beprovided with a digitally printed pattern that can seamlessly merge withthe pattern of the front face. In the case of a wood pattern, this wouldlead to printed wood grain lines running uninterruptedly, or withoutnoticeable interruption across the seam between the decorative frontface and the upper face or edge. A similar effect could be reached withveins in a marble pattern.

The digitally applied pattern on the upper face or edge of the tile mayalso incorporate branding. For example, the digitally applied patternmay include an image, character or logo.

FIG. 8 shows the tile of FIG. 7 in an exploded state. As shown, the tile800 comprises a bullnose edge 805 with a base coat 810, a decorativecoat 815, and a protective coat 820, exploded for easier viewing. Asdescribed above, one or more of the coats can be printed on and cured.Some embodiments may include an optional tie coat between the base coat810 and the surface of the bullnose edge.

As those of skill in the art will understand, the processes describedabove can produce tiles in a variety shapes and sizes. For example, theprocesses described above can yield 3 inch by 12 inch bullnose tiles,which is a very common and desired size. The processes described abovecan also yield tiles in larger and smaller sizes.

While certain systems and methods related to tile edge systems andmethods have been disclosed in some exemplary forms, many modifications,additions, and deletions may be made without departing from the spiritand scope of the system, method, and their equivalents, as set forth inclaims to be filed in a later, non-provisional application. Theembodiments and claims disclosed herein are further capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purposes of description and should not beregarded as limiting the claims.

Accordingly, those skilled in the art will appreciate that theconception upon which the application and claims are based may bereadily utilized as a basis for the design of other devices, methods,and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the embodiments andclaims presented in this application. It is important, therefore, thatthe claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A ceramic tile comprising: a decorative edgecomprising a bullnose edge; a printed and cured decorative coat on thedecorative edge comprising a radiation curable print media; a curedprotective coat provided upon the decorative coat comprising a radiationcurable protective coat; and a glazed and fired top surface.
 2. The tileof claim 1, wherein one or both of the radiation curable print media andthe radiation curable protective coat is a UV curable coat.
 3. The tileof claim 1, wherein the protective coat is a clear coat.
 4. The tile ofclaim 1, wherein the protective coat is based on a polyurethane orpolyester chemistry.
 5. The tile of claim 1, wherein the print mediacomprises binders/monomers based on acrylate, unsaturated polyester,polyester-acrylate, epoxide-acrylate, urethane-acrylate, polyurethane orpolyurethane-acrylate dispersions (PUD), or blends thereof.
 6. The tileof claim 1 further comprising one or both of a base coat and a tie coatprinted onto the decorative edge and cured, wherein the decorative coatis provided on top of one or both of the base coat and the tie coat. 7.The tile of claim 6, wherein one or both of the base coat and tie coatcomprises a radiation curable coat.
 8. The tile of claim 7, wherein theradiation curable coat is a UV curable coat.
 9. The tile of claim 6,wherein the base coat is white.
 10. The tile of claim 1, wherein thedecorative edge comprises a design matching a design on the top surfaceof the tile.
 11. The tile of claim 10, wherein the top surface of thetile comprises an intricate pattern.
 12. The tile of claim 10, whereinthe intricate pattern is a wood grain pattern or a marble pattern. 13.The tile of claim 11, wherein the decorative edge comprises one ofprinted wood grain lines and marble veins running uninterruptedly acrossthe seam between the decorative front face and the decorative edge. 14.The tile of claim 11, wherein the decorative edge comprises one ofprinted wood grain lines and marble veins running without noticeableinterruption across the seam between the decorative front face and thedecorative edge.
 15. The tile of claim 1, wherein the decorative coat isa digitally printed decorative coat.